


After A.D.

by emiley_carson



Category: Pretty Little Liars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-04 07:55:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11550849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emiley_carson/pseuds/emiley_carson
Summary: This story will follow the life of the Pretty Little Liars after the final credits on the television show stopped rolling. In fact, it begins exactly three weeks after the show left off. Each chapter will be from the point of view of a different girl as they face the struggles of an every day, normal lifestyle.





	1. Introduction

In an approximately twenty-minute drive from Philadelphia, and an almost two hour-drive from Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania--depending on who was driving and who was being chased--sat a town known as Rosewood. This town was not for those of a lower-income salary. In this town, you were either born into money or you inherited it from someone once they died. Although that was a common occurrence in this town--death that is--Rosewood has been relatively peaceful for the past year.

Just over a month ago, Alison DiLaurentis, Emily Fields, Hanna Rivers, Aria Fitz, and Spencer Hastings fought their biggest and ultimate battle--Alex Drake. After being rescued from an underground bunker, Spencer (along with her friends) believe that Alex was arrested and incarcerated for life. However, Mona Vanderwaal has Alex, along with her mother Mary hidden away in Paris, France.

In hopes to reclaim Rosewood’s positive stature, the Liars settle into town to try once more, to create a normal life. A life with no pursuants and no villains--something that wasn’t so easy to adjust to. For the past seven years, Alison, Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer all lived in fear of someone watching their every move. Now that it was all said and done, could they finally have a normal life?


	2. Aria

It was an odd feeling, as I drove down the familiar streets of Rosewood. In the past three weeks I had either been in an airplane or in the backseat of a car that drove down the opposite side of the road. It was almost like my subconscious had forgotten the basic mechanisms of driving. The honeymoon through Europe had been like something from a movie. Thanks to the success of our book, Ezra and I were able to enjoy the finer side of living as we explored places like Rome, France, and even Iceland. We went hiking and wine tasting and kissed under the eiffel tower. I had spent a year in Iceland when I was younger, the summer after Alison DiLaurentis had gone missing, which seems like a million years ago when I thought about everything my friends and I had since gone through. My parents had wanted to shield me away from any negative press that may come from being so close to Alison. At the time, my parents were also hoping to salvage their marriage, due to my father’s infidelity. Although Iceland may have some negative memories for Ella, Byron, and my brother, Mike, I had always wanted to go back. The inner artist in me craved the natural, beautiful scenery. Being able to take Ezra with me this time was a bonus that I never expected. 

I had never imagined myself married, let alone at such a young age, and to a former teacher of mine at that--we tend to avoid that topic of discussion. But there was something about Ezra that always made me stay. I snapped out of my daydreams as I parked to the side of the Apple Rose Grille, one of Rosewood’s finer places to eat lunch. I hadn’t seen my four best friends since the day Ezra and I left, so I was beyond excited to see their smiling faces again. I stepped out of the car, wishing I could wean myself away from my need to wear dark clothes, which only added to the heat of the ninety degree day. My high heels clanked against the sidewalk, creating a distinct melody as I hurriedly walked to the front of the restaurant, somehow always being late. 

When I opened the doors to the restaurant, it wasn’t hard to spot my group of friends. The place was almost empty, as it was nearing two o’clock in the afternoon. The lunch rush had died down. I was greeted with a string of squeals--a whole bunch of “Aria’s” and a few “welcome home’s.” I wasn’t sure who to hug first, so it ended up being one of those awkward group hugs with everyone brushing against at least one other person to classify it as a hug. Apart from the four adults greeting me, there were two giggly babies on either end of the table, clad in matching rompers--just in different colors. We didn’t need any more sets of identical twins getting mixed up in Rosewood. At first glance you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart, but on the center of each flower on their headbands, there was a bold letter L and G--Lily and Grace, the babies that took everyone by surprise.

I sat down between Emily and Alison. They were seated on the ends of the table, so they could each be near one baby during the lunch. Alison, no matter the occasion, dressed very sophisticated. She wore skinny jeans, a decorative shirt, and the color coordinating blazer over that. She was always dressed like a teacher. Ali’s signature blonde hair was in a bun, with a few stray curls outlining her face. She maintained a look of serenity on her face all the time now. I've never seen Em this happy either. She was in her usual sportsy attire of skinny jeans, sneakers, a flowy tanktop, and her hair hung long and loose, but she wore a comfortable smile that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Everyone had always known that she loved Alison in a different way than she loved any of us. The three of us others could always see that Ali had unresolved feelings for Em--feelings that took her nearly ten years to confess. It was nice to see their love story finally being played out the way it should have been all those years ago.

Across the table and to my right, sat Hanna Marin, well now Hanna Rivers. Her usually styled dirty blonde hair was pulled on top of her head into a bun, and even though she wore a face full of makeup, I could still see the bags under her eyes. She had on black leggings and a long, flowy shirt that hung low down her back. All of the girls had one of the complementary dinner rolls on their plates, but Hanna’s plate was empty. She had a glass of lemon water in front of her, while everyone else had a glass of red wine. 

Next to Hanna sat Spencer Hastings. She had perfect posture and had rearranged her silverware to be placed correctly, as she had learned taking classes on mannerisms as a little girl. There were dark lipstick stains on her wine glass. Her hair was long, curly, and washed over her shoulders just like a mermaid’s would. Just before I left with Ezra, she had mentioned wanting to cut it shorter, or grow out the bangs, so she could make sure she was easily recognizable from her twin sister, Alex Drake-- as if they would be crossing paths anytime soon.

“You guys… I don’t know what to say. It’s nice to be back on the same time zone as all of you.” I laughed, and part of me wanted to yawn as I remembered just how tiring traveling was. I just got home yesterday evening. “Em, Ali, how are the babies?” As I said this, I glanced to either end of the rectangular table once more. 

“Uh…” they both began at the same time. Alison looked at Emily, and the golden locks that angled her face shook with her laughter. Emily shook her head and under her tan skin, I could see a faint blush.

“They’re doing great… as you can see,” Emily said, motioning to the babies that were entertaining themselves with some kind of teething toys. “They’re well behaved and always so quiet.”

“They get that from Em,” Alison added, reaching over to wipe the drool off of Lily’s chin. “Do you know if I brought their bibs?” Alison asked, reaching for the diaper bag that sat at her feet, this time talking directly to Emily. 

I turned my attention to Spencer. Although she kept a sophisticated demeanor, she looked a lot more at peace with herself, now that everything was over. I wonder if I too shared a permanent look of relief. “Spence, how’s the law firm? And the Lost Woods?” I really wished her and Alison would have changed the name of that place when Mary Drake gave it to them. There are too many bad memories associated with that name.

“Actually, we’ve decided that it should solely be Ali’s place to run. I’m busy enough with the law firm, and Ali is the one with the entire summer off to run the place.” As she said this, she laughed. So did Alison. Maybe this was Spencer’s way of cutting all ties with her biological mother, or maybe this was her way of helping Alison and Emily out financially. “But to answer your question, the law firm with Mom is doing well. Although, believe it or not, there aren’t that many nail-biting cases to win without my crazy family lurking in the shadows. Just a parking ticket here and a bankruptcy there. You know, normal things.” 

The waiter interrupted Spencer’s rambling to ask what I wanted to drink. Since I had been late, we went ahead and ordered several appetizers instead of actual meals due to the time of day. Due to all of our small talk, the day had only gotten longer and I forgot just how hungry I was. As soon as the waiter disappeared, we resumed our conversations.  
Hanna had been so quiet, that I almost forgot she was there. “Han…” I said, quietly. She looked like she was in a trance. Her blue eyes looked at me, torn away from whatever her attention had been previously focused on.

“Yeah?” she responded, sounding almost irritated.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” And then as if she thought better of herself, she added. “Just tired is all, Aria. And hungry. But also kind of nauseous.” She laughed a little, but I’m not sure if it was out of humor or paranoia. I smiled back.

“Oh, but Aria,” Alison said, and I looked to my right. She had since found the babies’ matching bibs--one in purple and one in yellow. “Tell us about you! How was Paris?” Ali had always been fascinated with Paris, France. I’m surprised her and Emily hadn’t taken off there to get married. 

“It was amazing, you guys. We went to so many places.” I paused and took a sip of red wine. It was a lot more bitter tasting than I remember. “And for starters, the wine in Europe doesn’t even compare to this.” I started to laugh. “Ezra even surprised me, and we spent our last week in a log cabin in Iceland.” Everyone awed in unison. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that in the past seven years, I really had lucked out with Ezra. It didn’t matter that we had been together for so long, when every day with him by my side felt like a brand new love story. And even though the phrase goes “opposites attract,” I couldn’t disagree more. People fall in love with others who share their interests and life goals. It’s easier to attract similarity. I snapped out of my thoughts, and looked back at Alison. “You and Em should definitely go to Paris though, you would love it.”

“Maybe if we do that, she’ll finally stop talking about it,” Emily said jokingly. It was good to know that they had at least already considered it. “If we do that though, we’ll need a babysitter, and that’s a big favor to ask.”

“Don’t you remember, Em? Toby said he’d babysit whenever we needed him,” Ali said.

“I thought he was joking,” I added into their conversation, remembering him saying that the night of my rehearsal dinner. 

“Toby wouldn’t joke about that. He loves kids,” Spencer said, chiming in.

That shifted the conversation. Hanna perked up and looked at Spence. “So how are you guys?” she asked. “You know, now that your evil twin isn’t trying to get with him.” I laughed. The normal Hanna was starting to take over a little.

Spencer smiled, but I couldn’t tell if she was amused that Hanna’s personality was returning or if the comment had made her the tiniest bit uncomfortable. It was probably a little bit of both. “We’re good, Han. We actually have dinner plans tonight.”

“So where do you two stand?” I asked. Everyone was finally finding their happy endings, that it was only fair that Spencer got hers. I was rooting for her and Toby to make it.

“We’re friends,” she replied.

“Yeah, with benefits,” Ali added. Spencer’s face turned pink and everyone laughed. 

“Okay, fine,” Spencer said, agreeing. “But it’s only happened like twice and we were both a little wine drunk.”

“Wait,” I said. “How long was I gone? And you’ve gone from playing scrabble to getting drunk and sleeping together twice in three weeks?” I was laughing now. Of course they were already that close again. “And I thought mine and Ezra’s relationship escalated too fast.”

“It did,” Hanna said. We were all laughing now.

Before we realized it, our food was being placed in front of us. The comical conversations continued on for another hour or so. As the waiter cleared our plates, I looked around and saw all of my friends smiling. I thought to myself--this is how it should’ve always been. It should have always been this easy.


	3. Alison

It was roughly a ten minute drive to our home from the center of town, but right now it felt like it was never going to end. Lily and Grace only got in a ten minute nap before Em and I had to wake them up so we could have lunch with our friends. We didn’t wake them up intentionally, but it takes true talent to move a sleeping baby from their bed to the carseat without them waking up. As the clock neared half past three o’clock on the dashboard of the car, both of my girls were wailing. Although they are identical, the one thing that distinguishes them from each other, is their voice. They don’t talk yet, but they coo and giggle and cry. Lily’s cry is way more dramatic than Grace’s. Em and I believe she cries solely for attention. Grace rarely cries, but when she does, she needs something. When Grace cries, Lily will make sure she cries louder--even if there’s nothing wrong, as if she’s trying to out-cry her sister. I hated listening to them cry, I wanted to make sure they always knew someone was there for them and that they were safe. I never wanted them to feel alone. I was the one who instantly reached for them whenever they made a whimper. However, Emily was a firm believer in not immediately comforting the babies when they cried--she believed in the self-soothing method, and even though I was doing my best to support Em’s wishes, every part of me wanted to climb into the backseat and calm them down.

After approximately thirty more seconds of the sound of agonizing squalls, I looked at Emily. “I’m sorry, I can’t take it any longer.” At first she raised an eyebrow, clearly confused as to what I was talking about. She was always so calm--it’s like their crying didn’t even phase her. When I reached for my seatbelt buckle, I saw her eyes roll but under her breath, she mumbled a “be careful” and I felt the car decelerate as I hoisted myself into the back of the car.

“Ali, you know they’re just tired,” Emily said from the front seat.

“I know, Em. I just can’t stand to see them this upset.”

Within seconds of me being squeezed in the middle of two carseats, the crying was tapering off into whimpers. I had one hand on each of their bellies, letting them know that they were safe enough to calm down and rest their eyes. I could tell they were on the verge of falling asleep, so I leaned forward and asked Emily, “Do you mind driving around for a little bit? Just until they get into a deep enough sleep.” It was a lot easier to carry a sleeping baby inside than it was to carry a sleeping baby outside and into the car.

Em nodded, and when I leaned back, I saw her smile at me in the rearview mirror. From where I sat, I could see her hands gripped firmly to the steering wheel. Her hands always fascinated me. Although they were small, they were very strong--by looking at her hands, one could tell that she was an athlete. I smiled when the sunlight caught the diamond ring that was sitting on her left hand and sent the tiniest reflection glimmering onto the ceiling.

I looked at my own left hand, resting against Lily’s seatbelt, and smiled once more. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have a ring on my finger yet--thanks to Em, I had two beautiful children that I got to call mine. 

When the whimpers finally stopped, I rested my head on the handlebars of Grace’s car seat and closed my eyes. I had no intentions of falling asleep myself, but I was awoken to the sound of the car engine shutting off. “What time is it?” I asked once I had sat up. The nap was nice, but the pain in my neck from such an awkward position was not. 

“A little after four,” Emily informed me. “Let’s get you guys inside--maybe we can all take a proper nap.” I shook my head yes in agreeance. 

Emily shut the car door surprisingly quiet enough to not disturb either of our daughters. She opened the door and took Lily’s car seat out of the base it sat in, so I could climb out. I walked around the right side of the car and took Grace’s car seat out. Neither baby moved. I knew they were exhausted. “See, Em? Sometimes it does a little good to immediately soothe them. They just needed a little Mama time.” Emily laughed and shook her head, causing a few chocolate brown curls to fall in her face. With my spare hand, I reached up and brushed the hair out of her eyes. She gave me one of her famous grins, and I could see the warm blush under her skin. Our stares lingered a little longer before she unlocked the front door.

I followed her up the stairs, to the girls’ bedroom. Although Emily had originally wanted to use the furniture we had as girls, we decided on a complete makeover. Since Lily and Grace’s nursery was my old bedroom, we wanted a slight change. The walls were no longer pink, but now a soft gray. The wall that their cribs sat against had a large white tree painted on it, with yellow and violet flowers and butterflies covering the wall. Their cribs were simple, wooden and white. Over the dresser and changing table, four framed pictures hung with the lyrics of “You Are My Sunshine.” Purple was Em’s favorite color, and yellow was mine--it made me feel warm. It feels like just yesterday she suggested the nursery idea. 

 

*************

We were both on an emotional high as we walked into our living room. I was twenty weeks pregnant--halfway through this journey--and we had just left the doctor’s office, after finding out the genders of our babies. 

“Two girls…” Emily said, smiling. Neither of us had particularly cared what the babies were, but now that we knew, we were beyond elated. “This is going to be one crazy household, you know, with four girls living under the same roof.”

“It’s going to be amazing, Em. I’m still getting over the fact that there’s two of them.” Although we found out that I was carrying twins several weeks ago, it was still shocking. 

I kicked my shoes off at the front door and sighed with relief. “Come on, let’s get you off your feet,” Emily said as she took my bag from my shoulder, noticing my exhaustion.. I followed her to the couch and put my swollen feet into her lap. There were indentions on my feet from the straps of my shoes. “You’ve really got to stop wearing heels like that, Ali.”

“I’m fine, darling,” I said, winking at her. I laid my head back onto a pillow, not realizing just how tired I was. At twenty weeks along, my stomach was definitely rounded enough to look pregnant--I was gaining weight more quickly than I thought I would. The extra weight that I was carrying around was only adding to my exhaustion. I didn’t know how far along into my pregnancy that I’d be able to keep teaching. But for now, my only concern was not falling asleep while Em was talking to me.

“Is yellow still your favorite color?” I heard her ask me in a soft voice. 

“Mmm-hmm,” I responded, not opening my eyes. Emily began massaging my aching feet, which only made me want to sleep more.

“Why is that?”

I thought about it for a second, before I opened my eyes to look at her. “It makes me feel safe. It’s so warm and inviting. The color alone could save the world.” Emily smiled and placed a hand on my belly. Just then one of them kicked. “They know who their mom is,” I told her. Although she laughed, it looked like her eyes were filling with water. In hopes to distract her, I asked, “So what’s your favorite color, Em?”

“I like purple,” she said, responding almost instantly, as if she was hoping I was going to ask this. Before I could ask why, she told me, “Purple is the combination of the most fierce color--red--and the most calming color--blue. It’s like the color purple contradicts itself.” I had never thought of it that way. But of course Em had. 

“What’s the purpose of this conversation?” I asked, hiding a giggle. She always wanted to know more about me… about us. 

“I was just thinking about the girls’ nursery.”

“What about it?”

“I was thinking we should combine our favorite colors. Purple and yellow…” 

Yes, I thought to myself. I loved it. “But how will we make that happen?”

“The color gray is a good neutral to offset the purple and yellow. It would tone it down.” She paused. “I’ve always seen gray and yellow together, but I think a nice violet will be a perfect mix.”

“You’ve been thinking about this for a while, haven’t you, Em?”

She blushed and started fidgeting with her fingers. “I’ve always wanted a daughter, of course I’ve thought about this.”

****************

After we placed the twins in their cribs, we turned on the baby monitor and retreated downstairs to our own bedroom. Lazy Sunday afternoons were my favorite--it was always so quiet and everyone always stayed some level of sleepy. I kicked off my shoes and went to the dresser on the far side of the room to find some leggings. In the chair under the window, I saw one of Em’s shirts. I put it on and instantly smiled. She hadn’t washed it yet from when she wore it the other day, and it still smelled like her--that made me happy.

“Nice shirt,” I heard Emily say from behind me. I could hear that smirk in her voice before I could see it on her face. I spun around to find her laying on the bed, already changed into lounging clothes. She was laying on her stomach, with a pillow in her hands. 

“Thanks,” I said, giggling. I walked over to where she sat and climbed onto the bed. I placed my lips against hers and kissed her ever so gently. Her lips were still as soft as they were the first time we kissed, as we sat in the library at school. Each time I kissed her, my stomach still did flips and I felt so many things all at once--warmth, satisfaction, safety. When I pulled away, she bit her lip and sighed. We moved to the top of the bed, and I put my arms out. She rested her head on my shoulder and I began to play with her hair. This is how we always lay. 

Within minutes, I could feel my eyes getting heavier. Em’s breathing had gotten deeper and her posture felt more relaxed. I glanced over to make sure the baby monitor was connected before I allowed myself to close my eyes.

When I awoke, it wasn’t to the sound of a crying infant, much to my surprise. Instead, it was because Em had moved off of me. The more I actually woke up, I could see that she was on the phone. I didn’t hear any phone ringing, especially not mine, and that’s what phone she had in her hand. I was still too asleep to make out what she was saying, but her voice was more raspy than normal. She sounded panicked. “Em, what’s wrong?” I asked, rubbing my tired eyes so they could focus on her. 

“I’ll tell her… thank you,” she said to whomever she was on the phone with. “Oh, Alison…” she looked at me with watery eyes. She walked back over to where I sat on the bed. Em placed a hand on my cheek and then tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. 

“I don’t like the face you’re making, Em. Please tell me what’s wrong.”

“There was an accident, Ali.”

“Involving whom?” I responded. My heart was starting to beat faster. My hands were starting to shake. 

“I…” she began, and then a tear fell down her cheek. “It’s your father. He was involved in a fatal car crash.”

My head was spinning. “Fatal…” I whispered. Emily nodded.


	4. Spencer

I sat on the edge of my bed, wrapped in a towel, staring at my open closet doors. I was waiting for something to jump out at me--something to wear that is. My date with Toby was in--I looked at my phone--forty-five minutes. My wet hair was dripping down my back, and I could feel the beads of water racing over my skin. I took a deep breath. “Okay, Spencer. Get it together--it’s just Toby. He’s seen you at your absolute worse so literally anything in your closet right now is a step up.” Maybe my pep talks to myself weren’t the most encouraging, but it somehow did the trick. I stood up, my feet settling onto the cold hardwood floor, and I went to the first thing I could reach in my closet. I held up the hanger to admire the short, black dress. It was long sleeve and although it had fabric that was see-through, the collar dipped way low in between my boobs. Hopefully the right shoes and some jewelry will make it look more sophisticated in case Toby takes me somewhere on the nicer side. Even up to an hour ago, he wouldn’t tell me what we were doing.

I tossed the dress onto my bed and walked into the bathroom. I looked at my face in the mirror--like really looked at it. It was almost routine for me to study my face, at least once a day. I tried so hard to find something--a mole, a scar, a zit, anything--to distinguish me from my twin sister, Alex. I couldn’t get that moment out of mind--the moment she revealed herself to me. Identical twins were exactly that… identical. I wanted so hard to look physically different from her. Without thinking, and not caring that I was already running short on time, I went to the kitchen and found a pair of scissors. Once I returned to the bathroom, I brushed my hair out as straight as it would go, and proceeded to cut at least six inches off of my hair. When I was done, and the adrenaline rush was gone, I blow dried my hair and then looked at the mirror. It was still the same color and texture as Alex’s, but now it rested on my shoulders. I took a deep breath to steady myself and proceeded to apply makeup. 

I got dressed and gasped slightly when I went to pull my hair out of the back of my dress. It felt a lot different than when I had gotten dressed this afternoon for lunch. But somehow, I felt renewed. I was becoming a new version of myself. I slipped on some black ankle boots and put on a necklace that hung low. I reached for my phone and saw that I was ready with only two minutes to spare. So I reached for my maroon colored lipstick and then went to the living room to wait. At approximately thirty seconds past the minute he said he’d be here, Toby knocked on the barn door. 

I stood up and paused, remembering what I had done to my hair, and realizing that I’d probably have several different reactions to face. I took a deep breath and walked to the door. When I pulled it open, Toby’s breath caught, just loud enough for me to hear. His pretty blue eyes were wide, and for a split second, I thought he was going to hate it. But just then, the corners of his mouth turned up into the biggest smile I had ever seen. His eyes were squinty and his dimples were showing. “Oh, Spence,” he said. “I…”

“Hate it?” I asked, knowing that based on his initial reaction, that he didn’t. I couldn’t help but smile at him. 

“You look beautiful. It really fits you,” he told me. He took a step closer and reached out to touch a curl. “You really did this…” he said, pondering aloud. 

“I really did it,” I replied, mimicking him. “I needed a change.”

“Change is always good,” he reassured me. He let go of my hair and took a proper step back, and I could feel my cheeks turning red the longer he stared at me. No one would ever be able to make me feel the way Toby did with just one look. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat. “The keys?”

“Oh. Right.” I reached into my bag and found the keys to my truck--well his old truck. He has been begging to drive it again, and I told him that the night we had a proper date, he could drive it. I handed him the keys and he smiled. “Did you miss it?”

“I did,” he said, dangling the keys at his eye level. “Come on, let’s go.”

As Toby drove down the streets of Rosewood, I remained unknowing of our destination. I looked at him from where I sat in the passenger seat of my own truck. Since last week, he had shaven off his beard--I guess I wasn’t the only one who wanted a dramatic change of appearance. With a clean face, he looked so much younger, much more like the Toby I first dated. He had his left hand gripped to the steering wheel and his right hand laid in the seat in between the two of us. I stared at it for a few minutes before I decided that it was okay to reach for it. I laced my fingers through his and I saw the corners of his mouth turn up again. “So…” I began.

“I’m still not telling you where we’re going,” he said, answering my unasked question.

“Damn it,” I replied, sighing dramatically, earning a small chuckle from Toby. 

“Not too much further.”

After approximately five more minutes, the truck came to a stop and the engine shut off. I looked at Toby with obvious confusion on my face. “What are we doing here?” I asked. He brought me to the horse stables. 

“We’re horseback riding,” he said, smiling proud. I looked at his choice of clothing for our date night, and understood now why he wasn’t too dressed up. He had on jeans and a rolled up flannel shirt. “You’re not as excited as I had hoped,” he admitted. 

“Oh, no. Toby… I just, I’m just not dressed appropriately for this.” I looked at his face, and saw the obvious sadness in his eyes. “But you know what? It’ll be fine,” I told him. And I meant it--it would be perfectly fine. A small smile returned to his face and I sighed with relief.

When we got out of the car, I smoothed my dress down and waited for him to walk around the truck. He took my hand and led me to the doors of the stables. “I had someone arrange this for me,” he said. Just then Melissa stepped around the corner. 

“Hey, Spence,” she said. Her eyes went wide and I remembered that half of my hair was now missing. But she didn’t acknowledge it. “I just finished saddling your horses. You’ll obviously be taking Bashful. Toby is going to take my horse out.” She turned her attention to Toby. “Her name is Gypsy. She likes to roam so make sure you tie her up good when you get stop riding.”

“Yes ma’am,” Toby responded with a smirk. “Thank you again.” 

Melissa nodded and looked back at me. “Are you good to put them back into their stables tonight or do you want me to stay?” 

“I’ll do it,” I said instantly. It was already enough for Melissa to come out here on a Sunday evening to help Toby with date plans. “Thank you.” I hugged her goodbye and before she pulled away, she said, “I love the hair.”

“You do know how to get on a horse right?” I asked once Melissa was out of hearing range, raising an eyebrow. Toby grinned.

“It can’t be that hard, can it, Miss Hastings?”

I watched as he walked closer to the two horses waiting on us. He recognized Bashful and gave him a quick pat on the nose. I was still in awe that Bashful, the horse who was afraid of everyone, liked Toby instantly. I guess we had that in common, I thought to myself, laughing a little. In the midst of my thinking, I completely missed Toby climbing atop Gypsy, but somehow he was already on, and waiting for me. I proceeded to climb atop Bashful, still somewhat annoyed that Toby hadn’t told me what we were doing. Although at first it was difficult to get myself situated, I eventually figured it out. I applauded myself internally for not wearing a tight fitting dress. The one I had on was flowy from the bustline down.

“Let’s go, Spence,” Toby said and when I looked up, he was already a few feet ahead of me.

“When did you get so good at this?” I asked, giving Bashful a slight tap on his side with my boots. We began trotting closer and closer to Toby.  
“Melissa gave me a few practice lessons this week,” he said nervously. 

“Oh, so that’s why you’re on Gypsy. Melissa doesn’t let anyone ride her.”

“She’s very easy to train with.” A few seconds passed before he said, “Gypsy, not Melissa.” We both laughed.

We were nearing the line of trees that marked the perimeter of the stables. There was a clearing in the trees that led to a trail we sometimes took the horses down, but I had never been more than a few hundred yards down it. I didn’t know what awaited at the end--or if anything was there at all. 

The horseback ride through the woods lasted for no more than twenty minutes. Toby and I carried on a friendly conversation, although occasionally the words we spoke would subdue as we admired the beautiful scenery before us. It was almost as if we weren’t in Rosewood anymore. The trees looked greener and the birds chirped louder, as if they were singing to us, and us only. For the first time in several years, being in Rosewood actually felt like a fairytale and not a nightmare. 

A few more minutes passed, and Toby came to a halt so I followed suit. Just through the clearing, there was a grassy area with a picnic set up--complete with the red and white checkered blanket on the ground. Although the sun had yet to set completely, candles were lit and there was an old timey picnic basket sitting in the middle. I was at a loss of words. 

“Would you like to have dinner with me?” I heard Toby ask from a few feet away. All I could do was nod, completely blown away by how much effort he had put into our first real date. 

We both got off our horses and tied them around the two trees that made the entryway into the grassy field. Toby took my hand and we walked to the blanket. I sat down and crossed my legs, still wishing I had worn pants. But that was at the bottom of my list of things to think about in this moment. I watched as Toby unfastened the wooden basket. He handed me a juice box and I laughed. “What’s this?” Even though I questioned it, I tore off the plastic wrapping that held the straw and punctured the hole on top with it.

“Well…” he began. “You and I, and a bottle of wine lead to things that aren’t appropriate for horseback riding through the woods.” 

“I’ll drink to that,” I said, holding my juice box in the air before taking a sip of it. 

Toby grinned and I returned the smile. This was actually going to be a real date, I thought to myself. I couldn’t love this goofball more. 

“So I wasn’t sure what kinds of food would be good sitting outside in the heat, so we have some pretty basic things,” he said, sounding as if he was embarrassed that we weren’t dining fancy. 

“Toby, I promise you that none of this is basic.” He handed me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “My favorite,” I said. 

The rest of the evening we sat on the blanket and talked in between bites of PB&Js and pretzels and sips of juice boxes. After the we watched the sun set, we packed the picnic stuff back into the basket and proceeded to our horses. Instead of riding them, we walked with them so were closer to each other, close enough for our shoulders to brush with every few steps that we took. We made it back to the stables, in a little bit longer of a time than the ride to the picnic took. Toby stayed with me as I put Bashful and Gypsy back into their designated spaces.

When we got to the truck, I realized that it was completely dark now. The moon was full and the stars were shining. Toby’s blue eyes basked in the moonlight. He set the basket in the back of the truck and then took both of my hands in his. “You know, Spence… You’re mighty beautiful in this lighting.”

“I was thinking the same thing about you,” I admitted. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from his. We held the stare for a few seconds longer, before I couldn’t take the built up tension anymore. I tilted my head up towards his and placed my hand on the back of his neck to pull him closer to me. I placed my lips on his and then I felt his hand on the small of my back. His fingers laced through my hair, my hair that was much shorter than it was the last time he kissed me like this. This adrenaline rush was like no other. We were completely sober for this kiss--this kiss that we shared out of nothing but pure love. I could taste the juice box on his breath as he continued to kiss me. When I finally pulled away, we were both smiling. 

“C’mon, Spence. Let’s get you home.”


	5. Hanna

I groaned when I heard the sound of Caleb’s alarm clock. It didn’t matter how much I slept, I was still exhausted. Part of that was due to the migraine that was going on three days long. I was laying on my stomach with one arm tucked under the pillow, and my other arm hung off the side of the bed. I could feel my fingers tingling with numbness--I must’ve been in this position for a while now. The generic ringtone that was Caleb’s alarm finally cut off, and I suddenly felt his hand on my back. He leaned over and kissed the top of my head, and even though I felt like complete and utter shit, I smiled to myself. I guess he sensed that I was awake, because very softly he said, “Good morning, babe.”

I rolled over, now noticing a cramp in my arm from where I had been laying on it under the pillow. “Hi,” I said, squinting in the sunlight as I worked hard to focus my eyes on his.   
“What are you doing awake?” Caleb asked.

“Your alarm,” I told him.

He frowned. “I’m sorry--it never wakes you up.” 

Caleb was right--I never heard his alarm. I must’ve not been in as deep of a sleep as I thought. “It’s okay,” I told him. I reached out and put my hand on the back of his neck, to pull him closer to me. 

“Wake up in a good mood?” he asked, laughing a little.

Even though the answer was no, I hadn’t woken up in a good mood at all, I told him yes and brought him closer for a kiss. Only a few seconds later, it was eager me who had pulled away. I felt my stomach churn and all I could mumble was an “uh-oh” as I let go of Caleb. He moved off of me almost instantly. My bare feet thudded loud against the hardwood floors as I made my way to the bathroom. My knees hit the tiled floor in front of the toilet and I was instantly sick. After a few seconds of violently gagging over the toilet, the nausea subdued and I stopped to catch my breath. There were warm tears forming in my eyes as Caleb came into the bathroom. I flushed the toilet and took his outstretched hand to stand up. 

“Shh… it’s okay, Han,” he told me as I cried onto his shoulder. I wasn’t quite three months into this pregnancy--this pregnancy that I wanted so bad--and what felt like every symptom had hit me, and hit me hard at that. When I finally calmed down, I realized how dizzy I was. Even the throwing up couldn’t relieve the pain in my head. “C’mon, back to bed.”

I let Caleb lead me to my side of the bed and complied when he offered to fluff my pillow and tuck me in. “Today was supposed to be the day I got back into the swing of things,” I said, feeling defeated. It was Monday morning--the start of a new week. It was supposed to be my week. Even though I had big plans for today--plans that were still unknown to me--I could feel my eyes getting heavy, and I knew I would probably be asleep again in a few minutes. 

“Why don’t you try to rest some and start your day a little bit later?” He said, giving me an encouraging smile. 

I started to smile back but ended up yawning instead. Caleb continued to hover over me until I said, “Go… you’re going to be late for work.”  
“I think your mom would understand why,” he said. He was probably right. Since Caleb worked for my mother, she would probably be understanding of Caleb being late due to the fact that he was taking care of me. 

“Still--go get ready,” I told him, motioning with my hand for him to go. 

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Wouldn’t want my morning breath making you sick again,” he said, moving out of the way before I could playfully hit him. 

When I later awoke, I was laying on my side, with my arms wrapped around Caleb’s pillow. I didn’t hear him leave and I was unsure of what time it was, but I did notice that the pain in my head had simmered to a dull ache--nothing unmanageable. Maybe I could make today productive after all, even though I had no idea what I was going to do.  
I climbed out of bed and hung my head upside down, twisting my hair into a bun with the hair tie that stayed on my wrist. When I stood up, I had to regain my balance, but I thanked God that I didn’t feel sick again. I grabbed my phone off of the nightstand and walked into the living room, but was caught off guard when I heard the television on. Looking up from my phone, I smiled when I saw Caleb, sitting on the couch in his pajamas--sweatpants and an old tee-shirt of some band he used to listen to. Although he was in lounging clothes, his dark brown hair was perfectly styled and swept to the side. I wondered if he had gotten ready for work and then changed his mind. On the table in front of him, sat a box of donuts. “What are you doing home?” I asked, piling onto the couch and into his open arms.

“I didn’t want you to start this week off alone,” he said. I couldn’t help but grin at him. “So I called your mom, and she let me off the hook today. I wanted you to get some sleep so I went and got coffee and donuts at The Brew. I just hung out and read the paper--to make sure the apartment stayed quiet. I just got back ten minutes ago.” He paused and reached for a donut, which he handed to me. “That’s probably what woke you up.”

I eagerly took the pastry from him and took a bite, feeling hungry enough to eat for the first time in a few weeks. “What time is it?”

“Almost ten o’clock,” he informed me. “I’m glad you got some rest though. Do you feel any better?”

“Yeah me too.” I swallowed the bite of food and kissed his cheek. “My migraine has become a tolerable headache, and I don’t feel sick--so yeah, I’m feeling a lot better.”

We sat in silent for a few more minutes. Just after I finished my donut, I laid my head on his shoulder. “So I was thinking…” he said.

“Uh-oh,” I said, laughing. He put one of his hands on my still-flat belly. “Well I talked to Ezra this morning, just for a few minutes--he was there at the shop, trying to get back in the swing of things himself. But anyway, he and Aria want to move out of their loft--they want more space in case they decide to expand their family soon.”

“Okay, and what did that get you thinking about?” I asked him, wishing he would get to his point a little quicker than he was. 

“Our family is growing faster than we realize.” I sat up off of his shoulder and looked at him. “I mean you’re pregnant, Han.”

I started laughing. “Yes, Caleb. I am--that decision was kind of mutual.”

“We’re going to need a bigger place.”

My laughter came to a slow stop as I realized how serious he was. “I mean, yeah… I hadn’t really thought about that.”

“We have some time, but then again we don’t.”

“We’ll figure it out,” I reassured him. “I think my mom’s house is still on the market, maybe we could look into buying that?” I pondered aloud. Mom hadn’t wanted such a large house to maintain all by herself. Plus, she spent more time at the Radley these days then she did any form of a home.

“Han… your mom pays me good, but not enough to make payments on that large of a house.” Just then did I realize that without me having a steady job, we would be bringing a baby into the world with only one income. I needed to find something to do with my freetime.

“Caleb, that house is paid for completely. When Dad left, mom got me and the house. She’d probably cut us some slack, since she doesn’t need the money.”

“Hanna, I could never ask your mom to practically give us a house.”

“I’ll talk to her,” I promised him, kissing him on the cheek.

Later that day, as I was sitting on the couch, fuzzy blanket draped over my legs and feet, with my sketchbook in hand, I had an idea. My hand started moving quicker than I could process what I was thinking. I was flipping through the entire book of previous sketches, suddenly reworking each one, adding different stages of pregnant bellies to each. That’s when it hit me--I was going to get back into fashion, but this time, it would be for moms-to-be and not runway models. Or maybe it would be for both--pregnant celebrities always needed something to wear on the red carpet. 

“Caleb!” I hollered from the living room--I may have hollered too loud for him to just be in the next room. “I just had the best idea!” I told him excitedly as he walked around the corner.

“Damn it, Hanna, I thought something was wrong.” He looked at me for a minute and his agitated demeanor slowly fell into a calmer one. “This better be a good idea,” he said, smiling at me. I sighed with relief.

“I’m going to design clothes again,” I said while handing him the sketchbook. “But this time, for pregnant people because I mean, I have to stay fashionable even though I’m going to get fatter.” I paused and then had an afterthought, “Oh god, I’m going to get fatter.”

He seemed to ignore my second thought. “That’s a great idea, Han. But…”  
“But what? You said it’s a great idea.”

“How are you going to get these designs to the public’s eye?”

“I still have connections with Claudia, you know. I’ll figure it out.” Just then, my cell phone rang. I leaned forward and picked it up off of the coffee table. The caller ID informed me that it was Emily. Caleb took this opportunity to return to his work in the other room. “Hello?”

“Hey, Han…” Emily said, sounding a lot less chirpy than normal. Before I could say anything about it, she said, “Listen, I know this is a lot to ask, especially since you don’t feel your best, but…”

“What is it, Em?” I asked.

“We need someone to watch the girls until tomorrow sometime. My mom is out of town and I know Spencer said Toby would watch them, but he’s still getting adjusted to being back in town and... ” 

I cut her off mid-sentence. “Em, stop. Of course I can watch the girls. Why do you sound so panicked though? What’s wrong?” It was silent for a few seconds too long on Emily’s end of the conversation. “Em?”

“Alison’s father was in a car crash yesterday evening. He died. We need to catch a plane as soon as possible.”

“Wait Mr. DiLaurentis died? Is Ali okay?”

“She’s… as okay as to be expected. She’s being a lot stronger than I thought she would be--I guess she’s putting on a tough face for the babies. Or maybe she’s just numb...”

“So where are you guys going? I thought Ali hadn’t heard much from him since Charlotte admitted she was A?”

“He moved his real estate agency to Maine. It’s an hour or so long flight and we should be back by tomorrow afternoon. We just have to go settle everything there is to settle when someone dies.” The conversation went quiet again, this time longer than before. I waited. “Sorry, Ali walked by. Can you come here and watch them or do we need to pack their stuff and bring them to you?”

“We’ll come to you. Focus on Ali, Em. We’ll be there soon.” I hung up the phone just as Caleb was poking his head around the corner. He was always so nosey.

“Where will we be soon?” he asked me.

“You don’t have to come, I understand if you don’t want to since I kind of agreed to it without asking you. Ali and Em need us to watch the girls. Alison’s dad died and they need to catch a plane as soon as possible.”

He nodded, understanding that this was urgent and something that our friends needed us for--immediately. I tossed my sketchbook on the table and headed towards our room. Caleb opened the closet doors and reached for some bags on the top shelf. We packed our stuff for an overnight stay at the DiLaurentis-Fields House as I mentally prepared myself to babysit not one, but two babies. I hoped that this little venture wouldn’t scare Caleb out of wanting children. But hey, at least we only had to bring home one baby from the hospital. If we could handle two, then surely Baby Rivers would be a piece of cake.


	6. Emily

We decided to wait until the girls were asleep before we left for the airport. Alison thought it’d be best to not leave Hanna and Caleb with the twins after they saw us leave. So we sat and waited for them to arrive, while Lily and Grace napped.

Alison had cried a lot in her sleep last night, but I wouldn’t dare mention it to her. She still has nightmares sometimes--post traumatic stress disorder, according to Dr. Sullivan. But last night, she didn’t have her usual nightmares--she just cried. She stayed wrapped in my arms, with her head on my chest. The sobs weren’t loud and painful, they were just devastating and the tears flowed steady, as her subconscious slowly came to the realization that both of her parents were dead and she was only twenty-four. The girls woke up around four o’clock this morning, and when I pried her off of me to go check on them, my shirt was wet with her tears. As soon as I returned to bed, Ali resumed her previous position. 

But now we sat on the couch--Alison had on yoga pants and a tee-shirt that was too big and I had on something very similar--and she wasn’t clinging to me like last night. Instead she sat with a few inches of space in between us, looking devastated and sleep-deprived. I convinced her that makeup was not necessary for the forty-five minute drive to the airport and then the hour long flight. But we would have to change before we left the airport in Maine, since we had to meet the attorneys almost immediately following our arrival. Ali’s blonde hair hung long and wavy, with her bangs that were beginning to grow out clipped back. Her phone was in her hand and every few minutes, I’d see a message from Jason come through, but I wasn’t going to bother her with asking about that conversation. Jason had grown far apart from his father that wasn’t really his father. After a few minutes, I heard Ali’s phone lock and she tossed it onto the couch beside her. 

When she looked at me and her eyes were filled with tears again, I decided I should ask her about Jason. “What did he say?” I asked. Alison’s lip began to quiver. “Hey now, darling…” I whispered, pulling her closer to me. 

“He…” She began to say, but was cut off with a knock on the door. I watched as she took a deep breath and wiped her eyes, ridding them of any sign of sadness. “Later,” she said, sniffling.

I nodded and kissed her forehead. Her blue eyes shut and she gave me a not so encouraging smile. I went to the front door and let Hanna and Caleb inside. Hanna appeared to feel a lot better than she did at lunch yesterday, which made me feel happy for her. I remembered that overnight difference with Alison. She was like a brand new person after the sick feeling went away. Hanna was clad in yoga clothes, while Caleb wore basketball shorts and a tee-shirt. “Thanks for coming so quickly, you guys,” I told them, as Hanna pulled me in for a hug. When I pulled away, I saw that Caleb was carrying both of their bags. “The guest room is upstairs, if you want to put those down, but the girls are sleeping right next door, so try to be quiet.”

As Caleb went upstairs, Hanna and I walked into the living room, where Ali was still sitting on the couch, her legs tucked under her and a pillow in her hands, covering her stomach. “How is she?” Hanna whispered, her steps slowing as we got closer.

“She’s okay--she knows when to keep it together,” I replied. I waited for a few seconds, watching as Alison was on her phone again. I could see her furiously typing, the message box getting longer and longer. “Ali, Han and Caleb are here,” I reminded her.

She stopped typing, set her phone on the couch and stood up, walking to where we stood. “Thank you, Han,” she said softly, hugging Hanna.When Alison pulled away, she didn’t give Hanna a chance to respond. “So I wrote down the girls’ schedule, it’s on the refrigerator. But basically when they wake up from their nap in about thirty minutes, they’ll want a snack. There’s a bowl of applesauce in the fridge, that should hold them off until dinner. If it cools off enough, you can take them outside to play later this afternoon, or you can just play with them in their room--they have plenty of toys, trust me. And remember, the more you play, the longer they’ll sleep through the night. When it comes to dinner, I’ve already labeled the jars of baby food on the counter with an L and G. They each get a fruit and veggie. They’ll probably make a mess so change out of that white shirt before you feed them. They’ll need a bath, but don’t let Lily splash too much, Grace doesn’t like water. Their shampoo and bubble bath is already in the tub upstairs, with their bath towels and pjs. At around eight-thirty, warm up their bottles that are labeled in the fridge. When they’re done, put them in their cribs and turn the monitors on. They’ll probably get up around seven in the morning, fair warning. They get a bottle for breakfast, after their cereal. Again, that’s all labeled... ”

I watched Alison go on this spill as confused as Hanna was. I had no idea that she had done all of that. While I was showering and getting ready, Ali told me she was going to write things down for Hanna to know, but I had no idea she’d go to this extreme. “Alison…” I said cautiously, causing her to stop ranting about the girls’ schedule. She looked at me, her pale skin turning a little pink with embarrassment.

Hanna had still yet to say anything--she was probably overwhelmed. It was Caleb who answered for her. “I think it’ll be a piece of cake, especially with all of your planning,” he said with a nervous smile on his face. I hadn’t even heard him come down the stairs. “Ali, we’re so sorry for your loss,” he added on a more serious note.

Alison nodded, and turned away from them, walking to retrieve our bags from the bedroom. “Sorry about that,” I said and Hanna laughed warily. 

“She still does that when she’s stressed, doesn’t she?” Hanna asked me, referring to her over-planning and excessive organizing. 

“Yes, she does. Thank you again for coming on such short notice.” I took my phone out of my pocket to check the time. “We really need to get going,” I said.

Hanna nodded.“Bye, Em,” she said, hugging me again. Caleb said goodbye as well, and I went to help Alison with the bags. 

“Text us if you have any questions,” Alison said, waving as she walked out the door. I grabbed the car keys from the bowl by the front door and gave Hanna and Caleb one last wave goodbye.

 

I knew Alison was tired, but she wouldn’t dare shut her eyes to rest--not while we were on an airplane. She was aware that she’d probably cry in her sleep again, and wanted to save herself any embarrassment. We had been in the air for almost twenty minutes, and Ali had yet to say anything about her conversation with Jason. Now that I thought about it, she hadn’t said much in general. 

Alison was a very strong woman, there was no denying that. She could handle way more than life threw at her, but that didn’t mean her body didn’t physically show how she felt--no matter how strong her mental capacity. Even though she had showered just a few hours ago, her golden hair was starting to look dirty, greasy almost due to her nervously running her hands through it. Her crystal blue eyes stayed opened wide, almost like a deer in headlights--that was the biggest sign to me that she was afraid of something. She hyperfocused on things as well--right now it was the one loose thread on the armrest of her chair. She had been picking at it for nearly three whole minutes. The bags under Ali’s eyes were purple, looking almost as if someone had hit her or if she had fallen. No makeup would cover them entirely. I hadn’t seen this version of Ali in a long time, and if I’m being honest with myself, that scared me. She was unpredictable in any kind of condition like this. I finally decided I should draw her attention away from the red string her fingers were fidgeting with. “Ali?” I quietly said.

“Hmm?” she mumbled, looking up at me, even though her fingers stayed messing with the thread. She almost looked breakable.

“I don’t want to ask you if you’re okay, because I know you’re not, but… I’m worried,” I admitted. “You haven’t said much and you haven’t told me about Jason yet.”

She smiled at me, even though there was pain in her eyes, she still found enough energy to smile my favorite half smile of hers, the one where the corners of her mouth turned up far enough to reveal a dimple, but not enough for any teeth to show. “We’re just going to cremate him,” she said nonchalantly, as if she was unbothered. 

“Ali…” 

“We’re all the family he’s got left, Em,” Alison reminded me. “Jason doesn’t want any part of it, even though the attorney said things were left to him in the will.” 

“We don’t have to cremate him,” I told her. “If you want a proper funeral for him, we can do that.”

“I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to go to another funeral for a long time.”

I could agree with her on that one. In Rosewood, it felt like we were always going to a funeral of someone’s. “Ali… I know he didn’t necessarily support our relationship, but he still is family. He was there when the girls were born. If you want a funeral, we’ll do one.”

“No, I don’t want to do a funeral,” Alison said, more firm this time than last. She had finally stopped fidgeting with the loose thread. “Jason told me I needed to handle it, and that’s that. I will give him whatever Dad left him in the will, and that’s it. He didn’t want to come with us to Maine to say goodbye and he didn’t want any part of the will reading--he just told me to take care of it.” 

“Okay, Ali. Whatever you want.” I leaned over to kiss her head. 

We let the conversation die out after that and Ali finally rested her head on shoulder. I could feel her posture relaxing little by little and within a few minutes, she was asleep. I smiled to myself and looked out the window, daydreaming.

I could see now why Alison was upset. Through all the affairs in Rosewood, Alison was the only biological child of Kenneth. He had always taken more pride in her than Jason, and deep down that always made Jason envious. Even after he discovered who his real father was, he still resented Kenneth in a way that I would never be able to understand. Even though Jason felt such huge amounts of resentment, Kenneth was still the man that raised him. It broke Alison’s heart that Jason would no longer acknowledge Kenneth as his father. However, now that he had died, Jason would probably be able to find some peace in his life. Kenneth had never stopped trying to communicate with Jason, but that only pushed Jason further and further away. Jason was more supportive of Ali’s decision to go through with the carrying and raising of our children with me than Kenneth had been, but because Rosewood triggered a lot for him, Jason rarely came to visit. 

Once we landed, I woke Alison up. We were both dreading what was to come, but we grabbed our carry-ons from above us and waited our turn to get off the plane. Alison reached for my hand, and I happily laced my fingers through hers. I gave her a smile, an encouraging one, one that told her to stay brave. She nodded and smiled back ever so slightly. We walked off of the plane hand in hand.


	7. Aria

I watched the clock tick--the hand of the clock that counted seconds seemed to get slower with each three hundred and sixty degree rotation. I was thinking about time. Even a year later, a year after A.D., I still didn’t know what to do with my time being exactly that--mine. For years I had spent every available second searching for something unknown. Every second that passed was another second that my life could have been over. Now that my time was free, I didn’t know what to think. There was a part of my brain, that for seven years, stayed constantly thinking about who the serial stalker was. Now that all my questions were answered, what was I to worry about? The answer to that was a child. I had to worry about my options for starting a family with Ezra. Would we adopt? Would we hire a surrogate? I didn’t know what Ezra wanted, as we hadn’t discussed it in too much detail...

“Aria, what do you think about that?” I heard Ezra say, his voice sounding like a mixture of embarrassment and confusion. I too was embarrassed as I pulled my eyes away from the clock. I didn’t know how long I had been staring at it nor did I know the question that I was being asked. 

“I’m sorry, I uh… I’m sorry,” I said, struggling over my own words. I took a deep breath to steady myself. “What was the question?” 

“They’re ready to begin production. We can start casting soon, here in Rosewood. What do you think?” Ezra asked, telling me for the second time what the people in front of me had already said. I’m sure they had used more words than he did, but I appreciated his simplicity.

“Umm…” I’m sure the use of the word “umm” wasn’t appropriate in this situation, as I sat in a conference room at the Radley with our new manager, a man named Bradley Scott, and a movie producer by the name of Katherine Reid. The man that at one point in his life had solid black hair, now had more gray than color, as he appeared to be in his late forties. The woman was noticeably younger than the man, and wore black pants with a matching blazer. Her blonde hair was perfectly straightened and rested on her shoulders. Although younger, she appeared to be more serious than the man. “I don’t think casting in Rosewood would be such a good idea,” I admitted, watching as Katherine wrote something down. 

“Why is that, Aria?” Bradley asked me. 

I nervously fidgeted with the hem of my shirt and looked at Ezra. His eyes were still wide with confusion. “I just don’t want to draw any more publicity to this town. If people are coming here to audition, they’re going to be more nosey than interested in a role. Rosewood has had some harsh press.”

“I agree,” Katherine said, looking up from her notes. “We’ll pick a neutral location, say somewhere near Philadelphia? Does that work for you?”

I was still looking at Ezra, so I’m glad he was the one who answered. “That works for us, that’s roughly a thirty minute drive from here.”

Since Katherine knew more about the movie industry than Bradley, she spoke up again. “So in about two weeks, there will be an open casting call for all characters--main and minor. It’ll be over the course of a few days during the workweek, and of course, you two will be allowed to sit in at every audition. It’s a tiring process, but in order to get the parts right, we want your opinions. We want you to be as involved as possible.” Ezra nodded in appreciation.

“After that, Ms. Reid informed me that it’ll take a few weeks to go through all of the footage and narrow our selections down. Then everyone that you select will come back for another audition, and the process will repeat itself until we find the perfect people to play Ezra and Nicole.” 

The two people in front of me went on and on about important dates and tasks we had to complete. After we decided on the actors, we would have to meet with a screenwriter to ensure that we had the perfect script. When Ezra reached over and grabbed my hand, that was when I returned my attention to the conversation. 

It was Bradley who said, “There’s a chance that the script will be a little different than the book--I believe we were discussing having Aria as one of the main characters as well, so we, as an audience, can hear her side of her former boyfriend falling for another woman.”

“How does that sound, Aria?” Katherine asked, looking at me with hopeful eyes. 

I took a deep breath to ensure that I didn’t stutter this time or use excessive “ums.” “I think there’s a lot of potential with the book, to play around with the script that is.”

“But we want to keep it as original as possible,” Ezra said. “However, if you think having Aria as a main character in the movie would better help ratings and project to a larger audience, then it’s definitely something we can consider,” Ezra told Katherine. She nodded and scribbled something else onto her notepad. 

The meeting ended shortly after that, but even when our manager and movie producer left the room, Ezra and I stayed seated. I could hear the clock on the wall ticking and I wanted so badly for it to stop. Ezra reached over and placed his hand on my leg, and my eyes flashed to him so fast it, I probably appeared startled at his touch. “That was a lot to take in,” he said quietly. 

“Yes,” I said. “It was.” 

It was quiet for another thirty seconds. It was Ezra who again broke the silence. “Aria, what’s on your mind?” 

“Nothing I just--” I looked back at the clock and then at my fingers as I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt again. There was a loose thread that I had occupied myself with. 

“What is it? You were barely here for the entire duration of the meeting. Something’s got you distracted. What is it?” He paused. “Do you not want to do the movie anymore?”

“No, no… that’s not it, Ezra. I want to do this movie.”

He was now wearing a look of frustration as he ran his fingers through his wavy hair. He let out a deep sigh. “Look, Aria. I’m here for you and I want to listen to whatever it is that’s on your mind. But you have to be willing to tell me.”

“You’re right,” I told him. I stopped messing with the loose string and grabbed his hand. “I’m very concerned with how we’re going to expand our family. That’s all I can think about. And now with this movie, it’s only going to delay whatever we decide to do.”

“Oh, Aria,” he said, reaching out with his other hand that wasn’t interlocked with mine to touch my cheek. “I should’ve known that’s what you were worried about.” He stood up and I involuntarily stood up with him. “Let’s go get a drink, and we’ll discuss in more detail.”

I nodded but stopped him as he began to walk out of the room. I reached up and put my hand on the side of his face, pulling him closer to me. I kissed him slowly, savoring the moment. When I pulled away, he chuckled. “I love you, you know,” I told him, linking my arm with his. 

He smiled, his dimples showing. “I love you, too.”

 

We went to the center of the Radley, to the bar, and we each ordered a glass of wine. Once we found a secluded table to sit at, we began our conversation again. “What do you want for yourself?” Ezra asked me, taking me off guard. 

“What do you mean?” For myself? I was confused.

“I promise you that I am okay with any option we may have to start a family, but I want you to be comfortable with whatever we decide.” When I didn’t verbally respond, he continued, “Do you want to adopt? Or would you want to hire a surrogate mother? There’s also the option of fertility drugs.”

“Oh I don’t want to deal with any drugs or treatments, that only greatens the odds of having multiples,” I said.   
“Okay, I’ll respect that decision. It is your body.”

I smiled at him. “I think we should eventually hire a surrogate, so we have a child of our own. But I was thinking…” I stopped because I suddenly felt worried that Ezra wouldn’t like the idea. I decided to continue my thinking out loud anyway. “We should go ahead and look into adoption, since we don’t know how long the waiting lists are. Plus it’ll take forever for paperwork.”

“That way we can focus on the movie right now, and slowly work on adding to our family?” Ezra asked, almost as if he had read my mind. I couldn’t help but grin at him. 

“Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking.” He was smiling now too. 

“So why were you so worried about it, if you knew what you wanted?”

“Because I didn’t know what you wanted,” I admitted.

“I want a family with you, no matter how we have to get there.”

We finished our wine, my fear of starting a family with Ezra long gone. We were on the same page of our adventure. Things were looking up for us. We drove back to The Brew and climbed the stairs to our loft, enjoying our time together, before a child and before a movie. Right now, in this moment, it was just us and I had never been happier.


	8. Opinions and Feedback!

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this story. We really appreciate it!

However, before we start the next chapter, we would like some feedback! Let us know what you would like to see happen and what you think of the story so far. If you have any suggestions to better improve the writing style, don't hesitate to tell us. Please comment, even if it's just to say hello, so we can hear from you and get to know our readers.

Thank you!!!  
-Emiley & Carson


	9. Alison

When I awoke, it was due to Em kissing my forehead. I could barely see her, as the room was still dark and my eyes were still coming out of their slumber. Her hair hung as it normally did, long and wavy, and when she pulled away, her hair tickled my nose. I couldn’t help but smile. She was close enough that I could smell her shampoo--it was a mixture of berries. I could even smell her perfume. That also smelled like berries, but mixed with some florals--maybe jasmine. That was one of my favorite flowers. 

“I’ve got to get going, Ali,” Em told me, still standing beside me. She had an all-day swimming tournament to coach. The tournament had been optional, but she chose to enter her team into it as practice for the upcoming season. 

“Good luck, babe,” I whispered, puckering my lips for a real kiss. She pretended to be annoyed but leaned back down to kiss me again.

I ended up staying awake after Emily left, unable to go to sleep unless she was near me. It was a bad habit, I’ll admit, but she made me feel safe. I took this time alone, before the babies woke up, to wash my face and brush my teeth--both of which were nearly impossible with two infants. Even if I did bring them into the bathroom with me, they’d find something to get into now that they were beginning to crawl. Almost immediately after I sat down and picked up my phone, the monitor that sat on my nightstand alerted me that the twins were awake.

I walked up the stairs and poked my head into their bedroom. Lily was sitting in her crib, crying, and Grace was still lying down, but awake. “Hey, Miss Thing,” I said, walking closer to Lily in hopes to calm her down quickly. As I reached her crib, she smiled and the crying came to a stop as she reached for me. I changed her diaper and then sat her on the floor to play. Grace smiled at me too, from behind her pacifier, when I peered over the crib. 

Once I got Grace changed, I very carefully carried them down the stairs. This used to be so much easier, I thought to myself. The girls were getting bigger every day, and every day they were growing more and more into their personalities. 

Once breakfast was over, I normally tried to take them outside to play in the grass, but on this June morning, I decided it was simply too hot for that. Maybe I should consider purchasing a kid pool for the back deck. I tried to keep the girls on their same schedule from during the school year, when both Emily and I were at work. Em’s mom, Pam, had them adjusted to a routine that I didn’t want to break. After breakfast, they always had play time--well as much playtime as six month olds could have. Now that they were sitting up by themselves, it made playtime a lot more interesting, at least for me. They were beginning to interact more, not only between themselves, but also with me. They were holding toys now and laughing when those toys made sounds. 

We ended up in their bedroom, with me once again struggling to carry them both upstairs at the same time. I didn’t want to rush them growing up, but it sure wouldn’t hurt anyone if they could get up the stairs with minimal assistance. 

As I lay on the floor in front of each of them, watching them roll over and shuffle on their hands and knees towards each other, I smiled. They looked so much like Em. Although their hair was quite a few shades lighter than hers, I could tell that it was darkening as they got older. The girls had the same nose as Em, and even inherited the shape of her mouth, with their top lips just as full as the bottom. Em and I still didn’t know who their father was, and maybe that was for the better. But even if that be the case, she didn’t like for me to bring it up. The last time I did, we were sitting in a hospital room, just hours after they were born.

**************

I felt better than I thought I would after giving birth--I was in some pain, but the level of exhaustion I was feeling far outweighed that. But as I sat in the hospital bed, with Emily by my side, and two beautiful girls in our arms, I knew it was all worth it. My thoughts were interrupted when Em asked, “What are you thinking about?”

I laid my head on her shoulder, my hair piled in a bun, probably tickling her cheek. “I’m thinking about how this was the right decision--to go through with having them.”

“I told you we could get through it,” she told me. From how I was laying, I couldn’t see her face, but I knew she was smiling. She was so happy and I thought to myself how I hoped our girls were just like her.

“I know you did. It just… it just now hit me that we really are a family,” I said. And we were a family, not a traditional one--what was traditional in Rosewood?--but we were happy. I was happy. I stopped talking and looked at the baby girl in my arms, Baby Lilian. And in Em’s arms sat Grace. They were both so small, a healthy weight, but small to us as new parents. The girls had each been named after their grandmothers, as their names were mine and Emily’s moms’ middle names. 

“Can you believe this is our life now?” I heard Emily say after I had been quiet for too long. Lily squirmed in my arms and her eyes opened, still glossy. I put my finger on her pacifier and I could feel her begin to calm down. I smiled.

“No, I can’t believe it. I have no idea what I’m doing,” I admitted. I had been the youngest in my family, there were never any babies to take care of and obviously I was the first one of my friends to have children, so I had gained no experience from that either. 

“We’ll figure it out,” she reassured me. I watched Em as she traced her finger down the side of Grace’s cheek. 

The girls were so beautiful, but their skin was a lot lighter than I had expected it to be. “I wonder who their father is,” I pondered aloud, simply curious and more so talking to myself. I was still laying on Em’s shoulder when I felt her tense up. I pulled away and turned my head so I could see her face. Her eyes were big and scared looking. 

“Don’t ever mention that,” she told me in a whisper. 

“I was just---”

She stopped me mid-sentence..“It’s not relevant. They’re here and they’re healthy and that’s all that matters.”

“I agree Em, but--” Something about her eyes made me stop talking. She was right, it didn’t matter. At least right now it didn’t. But one day, the girls would ask, and what would our answer be?

****************

It was after nine o’clock that night, and Emily was due to be home any minute. Her team had won second place overall and a few first place awards in specific categories. I was so proud of her--she was an amazing mother and an amazing coach. 

I sat in our bed, with my laptop in hand. A week ago, with our visit with my father’s attorney, we had gone through the will. Jason inherited Dad’s realty business, although I was unsure if he would take the steady job or if he would sell it. I already lived in and maintained our family’s home, so being that I was in the will to receive the home was not surprising. However it was nice to know that the house was now being completely paid off by my father’s company. There wasn’t much to settle with the will after that, but we did have to clean out his home in Maine. The stuff I felt like saving currently sat in the spare bedroom. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with all of it, but I knew I couldn’t get rid of most of it. The house in Maine went up for sale and when it sold, it was being put into a college fund for the girls--I was shocked to hear that he had settled such a thing for them. I mean, he had only seen them once since they came home from the hospital.

On that same day, right when Em and I were about to leave, the attorney told us there was one more thing. As Kenneth DiLaurentis’ only biological child, I had inherited his life’s savings. Included in the money, there was a separate funding account specifically for my wedding. The attorney told me that the wedding fund was set up nearly twenty years ago. I know Dad never intended for me to marry another woman, but the fact that he kept the fund for me, said a lot. He had never truly respected my lifestyle, but I suppose he had eventually come to terms with it. 

So now, with our inherited wealth, Emily and I could have the wedding of our dreams, and take that trip to Paris. What she didn’t know, was that as I sat with my laptop, I was one click away from purchasing tickets for a long weekend in France. Spencer and Toby agreed to watch the girls and my love and I were getting away to a place that had always pulled hard at our hearts. 

I heard Em pull into the driveway and her car door shut, so I closed the computer and prepared myself for one of her biggest surprises yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this chapter has been delayed and is on the shorter side. Life has been busy, and is only going to get busier as the beginning of school approaches. So with that being said, I just wanted to let everyone who is reading this story know that from here on out, chapters will be shorter so I can post more frequently. Thank you all for reading! xx


	10. Spencer

Although it was a Saturday, I was busy at work. I had spoken too soon when I told my friends that working as a paralegal in Rosewood was boring. A client had called several times throughout the night, regarding her divorce with new information and things she wanted in return for her “pain and suffering.” I had forwarded the voicemails to my mother, and we both concluded that she had had too much to drink while leaving those messages. However, when I returned the calls this morning, everything the client said remained apparent. So now that left me reworking an entire case that was to be presented in front of a judge on Monday morning.

It was a nice distraction from the paperwork when my office phone rang. The caller ID didn’t list a name, as it usually did when a business called. Just a number was shown, and although it looked familiar, I couldn’t put my finger on who it was. 

“Hastings and Hastings Law Firm, Spencer speaking,” I said in my professional voice. 

“Oh thank God you answered,” I heard what appeared to be Alison say.

“Ali?” I asked, confused as to why she was calling the office on a Saturday. 

I heard a small laugh and then she said, “Well yeah, Spence.”

I smiled in relief that it wasn’t another client, but I was still confused as to why she was calling my office, especially on the weekend. “Is everything okay?” I asked, wondering if she needed any legal help with her father’s passing. 

“Yeah, everything’s good,” she said, I could hear her walking down a set of stairs. It was quiet for a minute before she said, “Sorry, I had to put the girls down for their nap and get down the stairs before they start crying--I’m a sucker for their tears,” she told me.

“What are you calling the office for?” I asked, not meaning to sound as harsh as I did. I apologized immediately and reworded my question. “I mean why didn’t you call my cell?”  
“I did, Spence. Three times this morning, actually.”

“Oh God, I’m sorry,” I told her, reaching for the bag at my feet. My phone was tucked in the side pocket and when the screen lit up, there were several missed calls and texts, from Alison, Toby, and even Melissa. “I’ve been at work all morning, haven’t even picked up my phone,” I informed her. 

“It’s all good, I just need a favor,” she said. It was crazy to me, how after all these years, her voice still had a melodic ring to it. Whether she grew up in Rosewood or not, she would’ve stood out among the crowd. 

“What can I do for you?” I asked, then paused. “Is it something legal related?”

Alison laughed. “No, of course not. But you might prefer it be,” she admitted.

I didn’t know what she had in mind. “I doubt it,” I said, and at that moment, I would’ve done anything as long as it didn’t involve paperwork. “What is it?”

“Would you be willing to watch the girls for a few days?” I definitely didn’t expect that.

“When?” I said, with an afterthought. “How long is a few days?” 

“In about two weeks. It’ll be for six days,” she said, sounding somewhat defeated. “I mean if not, it’s okay. I can find someone else, I just thought you and Toby--”

“I have work, Ali,” I told her, feeling bad. 

“I know, Em’s Mom will keep them during the day, but after you get off work and on the weekend, I thought they could stay with you and Toby.”

“Wait a second,” I said laughing. “Who said Toby was staying with me?”

I could almost hear her eye roll. “Oh please, Spence. Everyone knows he’s practically moved in already.” 

“Well--” I began, unsure of what to say. I really wanted to help her out and watch the girls, but I didn’t know what Toby would think of babysitting two infants for almost a week. “I’ll have to check with Toby before I can commit to that.”

“Already taken care of,” Ali informed me. “I called him first,” she said, sounding smug.

I sighed, with a bit of relief. “Then I guess it’s settled,” I replied. “But where are you and Em going?” I asked, realizing she hadn’t told me the reason behind needing a babysitter.

“So,” she began. “When we went to the will reading, I was informed that my dad’s life savings were now mine. Obviously most of that is going to be put away for emergencies, but first, I want to go to Paris.”

“You’re going to Paris?” I asked, excitement clear in my tone. 

“Yes, it’s going to be a surprise. I’m telling Em tonight.”

“I’m so happy for you, Ali. I know you’ve always wanted to go there.”

“And now I have someone to go with,” she replied.

 

Later that afternoon, I was still in my office, still working on the same case. I decided to put off law school for a few more years, until my life completely settled into more of a routine. So for now, that meant working with mom here in Rosewood, until I could save enough to move somewhere else and go to one of my dream schools. 

After Alison called, I returned all texts and put my phone back into my bag. I could hear it occasionally buzzing, but there wasn’t a single part of me that could stop working on this case. Once I started something, I had to finish it. My hand was cramping from the writing and then typing it all over again on my laptop. My now short hair wouldn’t stay up and out of my face. The candle that sat on the desk a few feet away from me was almost completely melted into a liquid. I know I needed to quit. Just a few more pages, I told myself.

But then I heard the front door of the building open. No one had a key besides my mother, so I loudly called out, “Mom?”

There wasn’t an answer, but I could hear the door shut and then footsteps approaching. “Mom?” I said again, this time in more of a whisper. I could feel my heart beating faster and faster. 

“Think again,” I heard a familiar voice say. The voice was immediately soothing to my racing heart. I smiled when Toby walked around the corner. He stopped in the doorway of my office, wearing basketball shorts and a plain red tee-shirt. His hair was disheveled and he looked somewhat sleepy. He smiled back at me, dimples showing. In his hand was a single key.

“Who let you in here?” I asked, walking over to him, myself clad in comfortable clothes too--yoga pants and a tank top. 

As I hugged him, he informed me that my mother gave him the spare key. “I came to pry you away from this office,” he told me, laughing. 

“Thank God you did. I think I was starting to go crazy,” I sheepishly admitted, glancing over to my desk. There wasn’t a single inch of available work space.   
“Grab your stuff and let’s go get some dinner.”

I nodded, and leaned up to kiss him, before grabbing my bags, shutting down my computer, and blowing out the candle. I left the mess of papers and locked the office door on the way out. I suppose some things could wait another day.


End file.
